There will be cake!

August 14, 2009

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Author L. Lee Lowe launches her new book as a serialised podcast today. You can find it at www.lleelowe.com. It is called Corvus and serialisation will run for 48 weeks, although impatient people can buy the full book if they can't bear to wait.

I read Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza: City of Masks a few years back and it was one that I earmarked for Ethan when he is a bit older. Great story, plenty of twists and turns and genuine danger. Lots of fun. Mary's blog is a must read for anyone interested in her work or writing or books in general as she talks about all of this and more. The latest post is a welcome addition to the debate around controversial children's novel Tender Morsels.

If you already follow me on Twitter then you will know about the fantastic offers on Friday Project eBooks at the moment because I spent much of yesterday bleating on about them. A trip to the eBook page on waterstones.com and a click scroll down will reveal a rolling selection of our titles at £2.99 or less. With the 20% discount Waterstone's are currently offering this means you can actually get The Equivoque Principle, I Have America Surrounded and It Is Just You, Everything's Not Shit, as well as many more for a mere £2.39. And if that is too steep for you then what about the critically acclaimed Third Pig Detective Agency for just 78p.

Comments

I'm a HUGE fan of the Stravaganza series ... and Mary's historical fiction story The Falconer's Knot (sort of like The Name of the Rose for kids). I can't recommend the series highly enough. She's a wonderfully talented writer.

Dipping Into

Books Read: 2015

Craig Thompson: BlanketsGraphic novel about a young man, growing up in a devout Christian household, who falls in love for the first time. Quite touching and subtle. (****)

Ian Rankin: Knots And CrossesThis was a bit clunky, to be honest, and a central plot point involved Rebus being a really crap detective and not noticing a series of obvious clues. A decent enough read but not a great crime novel. (***)

Jon Ronson: Frank: The True Story that Inspired the MovieI actually enjoyed it but it is a bit of a rip-off to charge full price for this as a book. It is really a magazine article bulked out with a large font and wide margins so that there was something to sell as a film tie-in. (***)

Katshiro Otomo: Akira: Volume 1A classic manga from the 1980s and one I enjoyed very much. Will definitely make my way through the rest of the series. (****)

T. R. Richmond: What She LeftClever crime novel that uses different bits of documentary evidence to piece together what happened to a young woman drowned off the coast of Southampton. If you liked The Girl on the Train then I think you'll like this just as much, if not more. (****)

Jonas Karlsson: The RoomBloke finds unused room in his office and goes there when he needs a few minutes' break from his humdrum job, only no one else can see the office. They think he is off his trolley. Delightfully droll satire, reminded me of Magnus Mills. (****)

Irene Handl: The SiouxThe Benoirs are an extremely rich French family living in New Orleans who rally round one of their number when her marriage hits the skids. Handl has created an intensely annoying but oddly compelling cast of characters. Impressive if not entirely pleasurable. (***)

Seiichi Hayashi: Gold Pollen and Other StoriesA beautifully-produced hardback highlighting some of the work of one of the acclaimed 'alternative manga' artists of the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately the stories themselves are either poorly translated or just don't travel well. A shame as it looks gorgeous. (**)

Bryan Lee O'Malley: Lost At SeaBought this for Ethan's birthday but gave it a sneaky read before wrapping it. Good, but not as good as his more recent books. (***)